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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584201">Not a Monster</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSparklyKitten/pseuds/TheSparklyKitten'>TheSparklyKitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Big Hero 6 (2014), Big Hero 6: The Series (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I swear this one-shot has a happy ending, Juniper needs a Hug, Mentioned trauma, Other, Romance, mostly from juni, post city of monsters, some self-esteem issues, there's just some Issues bc someone has been traumatized</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:46:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584201</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSparklyKitten/pseuds/TheSparklyKitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of the monster attacks, Juniper thought of herself as one, at least that's what the city thought after what she did. Megan disagrees. (Meganiper one-shot post COM. Feat: some brooding from our favorite crime-dancer)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Megan Cruz/Juniper (Big Hero 6)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not a Monster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>San Fransokyo had been horrified to learn that their beloved Liv Amara was an imposter in disguise, revealed to be her clone/twin Diane who puppeteered the recent monster attacks for her own gain. No matter how "noble" her intentions had been at first, she had gone too far.</p>
<p>Luckily she had been defeated at the hands of the beloved Big Hero 6, with the assistance of an unnamed girl that did what many could not; saved the real Liv with her cure. It seemed as if everything was back to normal after those horrifying events.</p>
<p>Except that the city didn't care to think about the other victims of Diane's monster attacks, the villains who didn't wish for her "upgrades" and were forced to do her work, eventually ending up as one of her pets.</p>
<p><em>Then again this stupid city doesn't care about anyone except their precious heroes! </em>Juniper angrily thought. She had been hurt as much as others did, if not worse, and yet she and her mama had to deal with the constant hatred of others that searched for scapegoats. One of those days she was going to snap back into villainy… were it not for her continued wish of wanting a normal life after how much stress the crime-dancing life gave her, she'd have snapped a long time ago. <em>Stupid San Fransokyo, stupid Big Hero 6… stupid brain! </em>It had been weeks since she and Barb had been turned back to normal, why couldn't she just move on?!</p>
<p>Tears dribbled down her cheeks as her mind pounded with self-loathing. <em>Because you did bad things and are trying to excuse yourself. </em>The dark part of her mind sneered. <em>Like you said, you could've gone to the police and told them way before, but you were too scared to speak up and now the damage had been done. You deserve to be scorned, you monster.</em></p>
<p>"S-Shut up." She rasped, curling back against the wall and trying to quiet her sobs. Suddenly, she heard footsteps, Juniper suspected it was her mama Barb but they were too light-footed to be her… so <em>who-</em></p>
<p>"Juni?" She jolted, as Megan poked her head from behind the corner. "Are you alright?"</p>
<p>"I-I'm fine." Juniper lied, attempting to quickly wipe away her tears before her girlfriend saw. <em>Girlfriend, still can't believe she asked me out. </em>The reporter, like many students at Bridgeton high school, was a witness to High Voltage's mutation at the school dance. Unlike her classmates however, Megan saw past the cruel transformation. Well technically she got the details that it was an unwanted "upgrade" when she visited Juniper for information about Big Hero 6 (she might've added a few distasteful comments at that one hero that kept making unwanted comments about her ugly mutated form), and that had sparked a friendship, and later blossomed a romance.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I know you're not." Megan had noticed the tears. <em>Oh great. </em>She grumbled as the reporter walked over and sat beside her. "Are you doing alright?"</p>
<p>"I'm fine." Juniper nudged her hand as it brushed her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about me."</p>
<p>However when she looked back at her girlfriend, Megan was irritated. "Excuse me?" She glared. "I'm your girlfriend, it's my job to worry about you!"<br/>"No one said you had to."</p>
<p>"What's that supposed to mean!?"<br/>"You don't have to care about me."<br/>Megan glared with anger. "What kind of statement is that?! Do you just want me to stand back and watch you suffer?"</p>
<p>"I'm saying that maybe you should mind your business!" Juniper snapped, but then eyes widened seeing the shocked look on Megan's face. "I'm sorry I mean I-" She turned away, which only infuriated the brunette.<br/>"Don't you turn your back on me!" She was furious, her jaw clenched. "When are you gonna realize that you need help, idiot! Quit bottling yourself up like a soda factory and just tell me what's bothering you!" There was a deep concern in Megan's eyes, but Juniper didn't care. "Come on! You know I just wanna help you, so please tell me what's wrong-"<br/>"Nothing is WRONG!" The anger exploded from chest as her words silenced Megan's. "Just leave me alone for once, can't you understand that?! I don't need your help, I don't need anyone's!" As she bared her teeth and snarled in defense, she realized that despite the sudden flinch of fear in her girlfriend's eyes, the worry was still there.</p>
<p>And in those brown orbs, her own eyes, surrounded by a ring of that <em>sickly </em>yellow color, a scar from the wounds that wouldn't heal were slitted in anger.</p>
<p>Just as quickly as she snapped, so did her tears. "I- I… I'm-" <em>You idiot, you yelled at the one person in this stupid city who cares about you besides Mama. </em>She buried her hands into her palms. <em>If Megan wasn't thinking about leaving you earlier, she will now after seeing what a mess you are.</em></p>
<p>"Hey it's okay!" She looked up, Megan wasn't angry or disappointed or even <em>scared </em>of her, she was still placing a gentle hand on her shoulders and staring with love and concern. "I didn't mean to push you like that, I worry about you a lot but that doesn't mean I should force you to say what's making you uncomfortable if it's gonna make you worse."<br/>"W-What are you apologizing for?" Juniper sniffled. "I yelled at you."<br/>"Eh, I was kind of being a jerk." She shrugged. "Well, we both were."</p>
<p>She didn't understand, why was Megan being so nice to her? "You were right though, I am suffering." Juniper confessed through sobs. "Ever since Mama and I were released, people have been really mean. T-They're still mad about the monsters and they blame us. I also blame myself, if I told someone, maybe even those stupid heroes about what <em>she </em>was capable of, maybe the city wouldn't have been under attack. Maybe it was better if they left me as that thing so I wouldn't have to life what I did as a-"</p>
<p>
  <em>Thud!</em>
</p>
<p>She yelped as Megan suddenly tackled her into a hug. "Oh, Juni! I didn't know you felt like that." Juniper felt tears dripping on her neck as the reporter hugged her like she was glass.<br/>"I didn't really wanna talk about it." She mumbled. "Didn't wanna bum you out."<br/>"You don't have to avoid subjects with me if it's eating you up inside." Megan's grip was tight and warm. "It's not your fault, you had no control over what that woman did. And it's disgusting people are victim-blaming you and Barb over her actions!"</p>
<p>"Yeah..." Juniper sighed, hugging her back. "Thanks for listening."<br/>"You're welcome." Megan smiled at her. "Do you feel a little bit better now?"</p>
<p>She hummed in amusement, replying with a peck to the check. "Now I am."<br/>"Hehehe! Juni…"<br/>"It puts a smile on your face!"</p>
<p>Her girlfriend smirked. "And yours." She leaned in to give her a kiss back. "I'm always here for you if you want to talk, alright?"<br/>"Alright." Juniper replied. "And… sorry again for yelling, you're one of the few people in this dumb city who don't think of me as a monster, I should be nicer to you."<br/>"You're not a monster, Juni." She told her. "You're a wonderful girl."<br/>"I know… but it's nice hearing it from you." She giggled as her girlfriend playfully stuck her tongue out.<br/>"Cheek!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The following week, as she noted that Megan had written a <em>very </em>detailed article online exclaiming that the victims of the monster attacks didn't deserve any victim-blaming from the citizens, (including her and Barb). She noted that the comments from passersby had faded, and it had gotten better for Juniper.<br/>"You didn't have to do that." She had told Megan when she was visiting her and her mama's apartment.<br/>"I wanted to." Megan told her. "It's like I told you. You're not a monster, you don't deserve to be treated like one. And it's about time someone reminded the city of that."<br/>"Thanks…" And they had gone back to watching their movie, and as she cuddled with her girlfriend as they watched the movie with the talking musical pups (she was still gonna question Megan's taste of movies once they were done watching the second and third installments)... Juniper felt normal for once in a long time, and that was alright.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Y'all want some more rarepair content? YEET!</p>
<p>This is based off of a comic of the girls that I drew and posted on my tumblr /spyrkle4 but feat. more of Juni brooding because she has post-COM trauma. Hope you guys enjoyed this little one-shot tho!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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